Beacon
by redbiird
Summary: Short update-ch.2 now up!
1. Beacon

Beacon 

Disclaimer: Dark Angel belongs to FOX and Charles Eglee and James Cameron, I'm sad to say. I'm just a little pathetic writer hoping to keep the characters of DA alive.

Pairing: M/A

Setting: After FN

Spoilers: Second Season, I guess. There aren't any specific references to anything except for the part where all the Transgenics are inside TC.

Rating: Not really sure. PG-13. Some language.

Summary: Standalone. Alec sees Max at Crash. He comforts her after she slept with a stranger while she was in heat.

A/N: Sorry if you see any grammar mistakes, if you tell me then that would be great! I apologize if the people seem OOC.

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He smirked and stuffed the slip of paper inside the pocket of his jeans as his co-worker at Jam Pony, Roxanne, sashayed away. "Dude, how do you DO it? You were, like, ignoring her 'cause you were off somewhere in la-la land!" Sketchy asked admiringly next to him. " And she just walked up and stuffed it right in you hand!! I've been, like, bugging her for weeks, man, and she refused to give me her number!"

"Charisma, Sketch. That, and the overwhelming hotness that is me," He said absently. Giving a characteristic cocky grin, Alec sauntered back to the bar. "Barkeep!"  He yelled over the din "Scotch!" A drink was placed in front of him just as his keen eyes swept the area.

Sketchy went off to shoot some pool. Original Cindy was sitting at a table, though Max wasn't present. Good. He needed more time to organize his thoughts. If she showed up now he would probably stare into her dark orbs and –. Groaning, Alec buried his head in his hands. He had been lost in thoughts about her all day already. Everything he saw reminded him of her. If there was a higher entity, Alec silently asked Him for guidance. Even Mole had noticed…

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Flashback 

"Just go after the girl already," Mole said, exasperated. Rings of smoke came out from the end of his cigar as he huffed. "Pathetic, you X5s are. If you like her so much why don't you just tell her. It's not like the girl doesn't return your feelings."

            "What are you talking about," Alec snapped. "Could you work on the census so we can actually finish it before the next Pulse hits?"  That had been his and Mole's assignment from Max. At the last meeting, she had insisted that they work together to come up with a census and system for writing down all the specialties and designations of the Transgenics. At least, Mole was _supposed _to work with him. Instead, he was making comments about some nonsense. Max considered him a _friend_.

            Mole rolled his eyes. "Princess, the entire HQ has noticed that you've been staring in our beloved leader's direction at LEAST once every 5 minutes. Don't tell me that you aren't doing it consciously. Just tell the girl that you like her already and stop fawning!"

            "I am NOT fawning over her!" Alec said indignantly. "I was just-looking around for- for Maud, that's all!"

            "Right….and I'm that fucking ordinary who writes poems, what's his name…" Mole snapped his fingers. "Ah, Shakespeare."

             Alec had just snarled to himself and stalked out of the room.

            "Denial." Mole huffed; shaking his giant scaled head and sending cigar ash everywhere.

End flashback 

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Nursing his drink, Alec sat back and looked at all the patrons of Crash parading down the stairs. Buxom redhead, leggy blonde, blonde, Asian, hot blonde…Damn. He just couldn't bring himself to actually like any of them, and all because of a certain X-5 who had given him his freedom. He hadn't stopped thinking about her all day. He couldn't get Mole's words out of his head. Yes, he knew that he had fallen head-over-heels for the bitchy transgenic leader. It had started as attraction when he came into her cell that day at Manticore, and after seeing her everyday at the Command Centre, caring for all the others, X-series and transhuman, and sharing secrets about each other about Ben and Rachel, he felt their friendship blossom into something more…something that Max was still blissfully unaware of. She still bitched at him and hit him, but lately it seemed more good-natured, more teasing. Some, (like Mole) would even go so far as to call it foreplay.   
            They had made their peace with each other that one day in TC. Alec had confronted her after Max had started to blame him for something that wasn't his fault.

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Flashback 

"I'm tired, Max." Alec snapped, pinning her to the wall and putting his face close to hers. Max stared, fascinated, into his intense eyes that were now a very dark shade of green. "Tired of you putting me down. Blaming me for something that's not my fault."

"What do you mean it's not your fault? Of course it is." Max glared. "Is it my fault that your contact is unreliable and blew us off? No. Of course not. It was you-"

"No more, Max." Alec interrupted, eyes glinting. "I'm not going to take this crap from you anymore. You always treat me like dirt. You never appreciate what I do. You know why that is, Max?" He sneered. "It's 'cause you're scared. Scared of trusting someone, letting them in your own world. And I came too close to that. So, as your only solution to all of life's problems, you either run or lash out at the people you trust, all the while hiding behind that bitchy personality that you have going."

"Don't make me kick your ass," Max threatened.

"Kick my ass? There's that personality I was talking about." Alec snorted. "Bring it on. Let's see what you've got."

They had traded blows right there, in Max's office. Feinting to the left, Alec watched as Max blocked it and his leg kicked at the opening left in her side. Taking advantage of her momentary pause, he pinned her to the ground with a move that would have made Renfro proud. Intense hazel-flecked green eyes stared down at her. She looked down, but stayed on the floor as Alec got off her and held out his hand.

"Alec?"

"Yeah?"

"I think…you might be right. I do always run from my problems. But I can't do that now I'm the leader of all the transgenics. I have to put on a brave front, even though I might be scared shitless."

She let out a whoosh of air, and looked so lost that Alec just held his arms out to her, and enfolded her tightly in a hug even as she blurred into his arms.

End flashback 

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He caught a glimpse of raven hair and black leather weaving through the crowd. That, and the sudden tingly feeling on his skin, alerted him to the fact that Max was at Crash. He didn't know when it started, but he always had this…hyper awareness…of her. He would know the second she went into the same room with him. Perhaps it was something to do with the fact that they were "engineered for each other". Not that she would even consider being with him. No, she had to be with Mr. High and Mighty, Logan Cale, not Alec, her screw-up breeding partner who reminded her of her psycho brother. He stared into his cup and swirled its contents. Not that he ever had a chance. Even though lately they had been friendlier towards each other, and she hadn't acted quite so hostile to him, he probably still had a long way to go before Max would even see him as a potential lover. He should be lucky that she even considered him a friend.

When he saw that Max had sat all the way at the end of the bar table by herself, he sighed and stood up, placing a bill on the counter. Weaving through the throng standing around the bar table, he studied her profile against the harsh lighting. Straight raven locks that fell to her shoulders framed a face with full carnelian lips, high cheekbones and dark, soulful eyes. She looked beautiful, even though she had dark circles under her eyes and her slight framed slumped, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. In this case, she probably does think that.She always did have to claim responsibility for the actions of the rest of the world. Sighing, he approached her, just as her head came up and she looked around. She probably felt it when Alec studied her, like a light breeze on your skin.

"Hey, Maxie, what'cha doin'?"

"Go away, Alec." Max snapped. "I'm not in the mood for this right now."

Alec smirked. "In the mood for what? Are you saying you just can't resist being around such a hot specimen like me and not jump my bones? I'm flattered, really-"

"Shut up, Alec. I don't need your idiotic comments, or your egotistical views on women in general. I just want to be alone. Do you NOT get that the last time I said it?" Her icy glare threw him off. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she slammed her full beer glass back on the counter and stood up abruptly, shoving him aside and disappeared into the crowds.

Alec just stared after her, the hurt evident in his gold-flecked green eyes. "I thought we were over this shit." He said angrily. "I really did." She had treated him with the hostility and downright dislike that had been absent since that day she told him about Ben. It hurt that she still didn't trust him enough to tell him about her problems. It was obvious that there was something on her mind. Hell, it more than hurt. It felt like he was in the middle of a raging fire that licked at his clothes and burned him whenever he tried to move. Whirling, he took slow, deliberate steps to the table where OC and Sketchy were sitting, and where Max was saying something. He caught a distinct "I've gotta jet, boo" before Max caught sight of him and slipped out the door.

As soon as he got close enough to hear, Cindy tried to find out what had happened. "What'd you do to piss off my boo, pretty boy?" OC wanted to know. "If you hurt her OC's going to put the smack down on yo' pretty ass, advanced genetics or no!"

"Yarrr…." Sketchy drawled in a drunken slur. "Where dyd M-Maaxxx gooooo…I s-sweaaar I jus saaw her…"

Slapping the back of Sketchy's head, Original Cindy snapped, "You! You already had enough booze, fool. OC just don't feel like draggin' yo sorry ass up the stairs and back to yo' crappy apartment!"

Frowning, Sketchy started to say (or, rather try to say) something, then choked and turned his head to the side, throwing up all over the wooden floor. All the customers looked at him and stared. Cindy rolled her eyes. "Now you know why you never get numbers from honeys."

Disgusted, Alec just stood up to leave, tossing a nonchalant 'see ya later' over his shoulder. He just didn't feel like sitting around listening to Sketchy today. He had already been here long enough.

            Stepping out of the doorway of Crash, he noticed that it was raining. 'Seattle weather', he thought, wrinkling his nose, 'it always rains.' Pulling the hood of his black sweatshirt up over his head, he sprinted towards the back alley where he kept his green-and-black motorcycle, ready to ride back to TC. 'Oh well, might as well work on the supply lists. Max wants them by Monday, anyway…' He nearly walked into a still form standing right in front of him. It was Max.

            She was dripping wet, as she ought to be from standing there for so long in the rain. X-5s don't get sick, but she should still at least attempt to find _some_ shelter. "Max?" Alec asked tentatively. He hadn't realized her problems bothered her so much. Cats generally don't like rain. "What's wrong?"

            She turned around slowly, and Alec, startled, looked into her brown orbs, which were shining with unshed tears. He almost lost himself in them; they were swirling with so much fear, and confusion. "Alec." The word left her full lips like a breeze. She finally let the tears fall. "It's nothing." Shaking her head, she turned to walk away, when Alec's hand on her arm stopped her.

            "I know there's something wrong, Max. Tell me what's going on?" He pleaded.

            She studied him for a moment, then dove into his arms, latching hers around his waist. As he folded his arms around her, he felt like he was capable of protecting her from anything in the world. Even if White and all his Familiars suddenly showed up, he would stop them from hurting Max. She was just so vulnerable and lost right now. Alec bent his head close to her ear. "Let's get out of the rain, 'k?" He whispered worriedly.

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            Logan. He had a very bad feeling that that was what she was worried about. All her problems were about Logan. She always bitched to him, or OC about them and their non-existent, not-like-that relationship. But it always seemed to him that they were just not suited to be together, for all the 'we're meant to be' feelings that Max has for Eyes Only. _She's in love with the idea of loving a normal man. _He thought. _He was the only Ordinary who knew her for what she was and still stuck by her, and in her book that equals love. He's confused her. He didn't fit into the little neat categories she had made (enemies, friends, heat victims). She could never truly let her guard down around him, and just be herself. Plus he hasn't really been here for Max. To Max, a friend was someone who she could just chill with, and not worry about how several governments and some insane cults are on her ass 24/7, and Logan Cale fit none of that criteria. So she automatically classified him as "boyfriend". Please. The spark that they might have had when they met is long gone._

_            And Logan-don't even get me started on him. He's just in love with the idea that his girlfriend kicks ass and works with him to save the world on a daily basis. All he ever worries about are his EO missions, anyway. Since when has he CARED if Max is in danger?  
            _Max shifted uncomfortably on the worn couch as Alec contemplated her silently. "Alec?" She asked hesitantly.

            "Tell me what's wrong, Max." He leant forward, and kneeling between Max's legs, took hold of her hands. Her face crumpled.

            "Oh God, Alec, how could I have been so blind?" She cried, "I-"

            "Go on," Alec murmured, stroking her dark hair. "Start from the beginning."

            "The beginning…that would be when I first met you, Alec."

            Alec stiffened. Was she going to blame everything on him again? Was that why the beginning of her problems led to when she first met him?

Noticing, Max reassuringly covered his hands with her own.

            "No, my problems aren't because of you." She stared at her hands guiltily. "There is no way to excuse how bitchy I was to you these months. It was …Logan. And Manticore"

            So he was right. Partly, anyway.

            Blinking at the self-confident smirk on Alec's face, Max's own full lips quirked up into a smile.

            "But mostly Manticore. You see, I, uh, went into heat a few days ago…" Her voice trailing off, "I assume you know about those?"

            He smirked. "Of course. They hit when we hit puberty. I think I first knew about it when this girl in my unit, 867, tried to jump Biggs. It was just…funny. Then after that, they gave the females pills to control pregnancy and monitored us really closely."

            Max lowered her eyes. "I…went into heat, as I said. I couldn't control it. I just jumped on this guy walking by on the street." Staring fixedly at a point over Alec's shoulder, she continued. "He fucked me right there, against the wall of the alley we were standing in. I feel so…used, and dirty. But at the time I was screaming at him to go faster, harder. But I knew that all the time I was pounding inside my head and telling me to get the fuck out of there and kick him to the curb." Stopping briefly in her retelling to swipe away the tear that had reappeared in her troubled eyes, she was a far cry from the kick-ass persona she usually bore. Alec closed his eyes, stroking her cheek, just letting her talk, and get it all out. It was like being raped, he knew that much. She had as much as said it-she was screaming at herself to get the hell out, but her feline genetics and the pheromones she was releasing prevented that from happening. The ordinary probably wouldn't let her go anyway; a hot willing female with stamina was rare these days. Jolted suddenly by Max flinging herself at him to wrap her arms around his waist, he realized that she was still talking.    __

            "God, Alec, it was so horrible. He kept demanding, and pushing…then when we were done he just left me there without a word. Not that I expected him not to. I just walked back to my apartment. Almost got robbed 'cause I was so dazed." She suddenly stopped. "Alec?" She asked tentatively.

            "Mmm?" He had buried his head in her beautiful hair, inhaling the sweet scent. Alec just didn't want to see the disgust and unease growing in her eyes anymore.

            "Do you think I'm a whore?" Max's normally confident and authorative voice was wavering, unsure. His head snapped up.

            "What?" He asked, dumbfounded, "God, of course not Maxie. Whoever told you that?" He demanded harshly.

            "N-nobody." Tears were starting to run down her face again, just when she had regained _some _of her calm composure.

            "It was Logan, wasn't it." Alec stated. It wasn't a question. And her face just gave him all the answers he needed.

            "He didn't mean it, Alec," Max almost pleaded, "It was an accident."

            "Accident!" He stared incredulously at her. The man could do anything short of murder and she would still defend him, the arrogant bastard! "No, it was _not _an accident, Max. Nobody, and I mean _nobody _has the right to talk to you like that." The resolve in her eyes seemed to break down.

            "H-he said," She stopped to sniffle. "He said that I should have been able to restrain myself, that our relationship,"-Alec almost choked- _what _relationship?- "Meant nothing to me, otherwise I wouldn't do this to him. He also said-" The last words were swallowed in a sob.

            "It's okay, Maxie. You can trust me. Tell me what he said." He gently rubbed his hand in circles on her back.

            She gazed up at his understanding eyes, and said, in a small voice, "He said that I was an unfeeling whore who begged to be fucked and that love meant nothing to me."

            _That fucked up bastard. _Alec fumed, _He's gonna pay for what he said to hurt Max._

As if reading his mind, Max reached up. "Alec, don't kill him." Her eyes were imploring. "H-he didn't mean it."

            So she was still in love with him. Alec gritted his teeth and almost growled. How could she still love him, defend him after what he said to her? After he hurt her so much? His heart ached to see her hurting like this. Images of Max bundled up crying in the rain against the alley flashed in his mind. Was Logan Cale really that perfect in her eyes?

            "I won't kill him." Alec promised, "But I won't promise not to hurt him."  

            Max sighed in relief. "Thank you, Alec."

            "No problem, Maxie." He smiled into her hair. "Anything for a friend." His heart constricted at the words. Friend. Is that all I am to her? He wondered, or is there a little corner of her heart somewhere that said 'I like Alec as more than a friend'? He just hoped that she would see that Logan was a mistake, that they were never meant to be.

            With a sudden realization, he knew that as long as it kept Max happy, he would not hurt Logan. Because hurting Logan would hurt Max, and in turn, Alec would be the one hurting.

            But as her bright hopeful eyes looked up at him, he stroked her hair softly and vowed to himself, _I will always be here for you, Max. I will be your beacon if you are lost. I will bring you home, to happiness, even if, to you, happiness means Logan. If Logan is the one you truly love, I will step aside to make you happy. I just hope that someday you will take your eyes off of Logan and see me here waiting, always. Always loving you._


	2. We've Got the Cure!

"We've Got the Cure!" 

Disclaimer: The plot is the only thing that belongs to me.

Pairing: M/A

Setting: Season 2-nothing happened with FN, or those freaky runes.

Spoilers: Season 2

Rating: Not really sure. PG-13. Some language.

Summary: After Beacon.

A/N: REALLY short update. I'm sorry; I seem to have a case of writer's block. Sigh.

"Alec, thank you."

"Huh?"

His tousled head was buried in her shoulder, his arms wrapped securely around her. Max shifted.

"For last night. It means a lot that you cared."

Alec blinked. A compliment was a rare thing from Max, even if they were friends-or, at least whatever he was to her; sometimes he couldn't be too sure.

"It was no problem." He said softly. "Just helpin' out a friend."

"Still, you didn't have to." She looked up at him-Alec was floored by the intensity and sincerity of her eyes. They were sparkling, and so full of emotion, and ----

"We should get off the couch." Max sighed, gently detaching his arms from her waist.

"Hmm, don't wanna," He teased, with a sexy smirk, but complying and standing up, stretching.

_Sexy?? Where on earth did _that _come from?_

_You know he's always been sexy. The man is practically sex personified, you know. _A traitorous voice suggested.

_He's my _friend. _And besides, I love Logan-_

_Or do you? _An imaginary eyebrow was raised. _Maybe you just use it as a safety net._

_Argh, stop it. Alec. Is. My. Friend._

"You know, Max, talking to yourself is the first signs of madness."

What the- I must have said that last part out loud. 

"Alec."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"You know, I've been waiting for you to say something like that. Did you realize that you haven't said a single derogatory sentence to me the whole night? I'm impressed. You must be expanding your vocabulary. "

"Whatever, Alec. We have to get to work."

"YOU may have to, missy miss, but I, for one, can laze around as late as I want."

"Courtesy of the gladiator suit," Max muttered. "Again, whatever. If I have to get to work this early, so do you."

He rolled his eyes. Only to see Max's arms coming around him in another hug.

"Thanks," She breathed in his ear. "But don't you _dare _tell anyone at work about how mushy I was."

His lips curved into a smile as he hugged her back. "Consider it done."

"Boo, you home?" The door slammed open to reveal one Original Cindy. "Cause if yo' gonna be late to work again, this girl's NOT coverin' fo' your sorry ass-" She paused in her tracks, jaw dropping open. "Boo. You tell me just _what _happened the night OC went to her honey's house and left you unsupervised."

Max rolled her eyes. "Nothing, Cindy." She started to get her bag, but grimaced, looking down at her rumpled clothes. "I'm gonna change," She announced. "You just get pretty boy's ass over to work."

OC arched an elegant eyebrow, about to comment-but Max had already slammed shut the door to the bathroom, and the sounds of a shower could be heard.

"Thank you for using Jam Pony." Max grabbed her clipboard, shoving it in her messenger bag. The white-haired old lady stared at her with startled eyes behind thick, brown-rimmed glasses, but the brunette had straddled her bike, pushing off with one foot. Shaking her head, the lady moved to close the door. "Young people nowadays," She grumbled to herself. "Never do anything slowly."

Catching the lady's comments with her genetically enhanced hearing, Max smirked. Poor old people; they were always so hung up over what was there before the Pulse and complaining about how stuff was going all downhill. But then, what wasn't? She could not imagine a time when you could just walk into a store and see a row of- say, chocolate bars that you could buy for less than the outrageous price nowadays.

She was startled as her pager buzzed. Sighing, she turned her bike around without even looking at the display. Logan, of course.

"What's up?" She asked wearily, stepping into the posh penthouse. "I have to get back to work soon." Eyes Only, as usual, was seated in his computer chair in front of -gasp the computer!! Sometimes she wondered if he actually had any other hobbies. Oh wait, does cooking pasta and a penchant for chess count? He was pathetically bad at chess. She rolled his eyes. Logan, being who he is, missed the bored look on her face completely.

"I've got a lead," He said excitedly. "On one of Manticore's scientists. He might be able to produce a cure!" With his eyes so wide that you could see the white all around, his mouth hanging open, and with him panting heavily, you would think that he just ran five miles. Rolling her eyes yet again, Max lost herself in thoughts of _how _she could have admired this man when she met him-WAIT. Did he just mention the cure?

_I should be happy about this, and yet I'm not. Not really. _Her brows drew down and she frowned.

Logan blinked. "Aren't you happy for us, Max? I mean, we've got the cure!"

"Possible cure." Max corrected. "We'll have to see if your lead is-"

"Of _course_ it's accurate! This is information from the-"

_Eyes Only Informant Net, blah blah, woof woof. Sometimes I don't get how he can repeat the same sentences over and over without noticing that he was being overly boring, and redundant. Be careful, Max! _She mimicked inside of her head. _Eyes Only has a lead on a criminal who has been depriving citizens of Seattle of – _Sighing, she resigned herself to the fact that this was going to be a long speech. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she stopped short. _I'm supposed to be in love with the man! _She chided herself. _The least I can do is listen to him, especially seeing as he might have found someone who could help us with our little problem-namely, the fact that he'll die if I touch him; not exactly the most poetic situation._

"But White has him, he-"

"Hey Max, Logan." Alec interrupted, opening the wooden door and poking his head from behind the sliding glass that separated Logan's study from the rest of his house.

_Huh? What's he doing here? Should be interesting to see how this plays out…_


End file.
